Tomorrow Will Be Kinder
by elizabethmcauley
Summary: Daryl Dixon was never one for emotion or relationships for that matter. He was strong, independent and most of all, a survivor. But then she comes along, , and ruins everything. He hated her for it, for being everything he wasn't, but sometimes the line between love and hate is real blurry. The end of the world just got interesting. DD/OC. Rating subject to change.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Walking Dead or it's characters. I do own Haley. **

It was a cruel world that much was for certain, but some were made to thrive in it. Some people were able to rise up in this world and show their ability to survive, to be heroes. These people were the light in this blackened world, the ones who would save it from becoming just another ball of gas and water floating in emptiness and nothing more. Haley liked to think she was one of these people.

But she wasn't. Despite her ability to survive when she shouldn't have, her current situation was proof that she would not be the hero in this story. Her luck has officially run out.

Her legs were beginning to burn as she slowed her jog to a brisk walk. She was fairly confident she had lost the small group of walkers that had followed her into the woods. She leaned against a small tree that stood to the left to catch her breath. Her lungs were protesting their excessive use and her head was beginning to feel light on her shoulders. The sun, despite the amount of trees there was to block it, was persistent in shining through, beating down on her exposed shoulders and her face. She could feel the blisters forming.

How did she get herself in this situation? She was doing just fine on her own and then she made a stupid decision, one her brother would scold her for if he was here.. Teddy always knew best. Her older brother was made for stuff like this; hell he'd been in the army for almost eleven years. They made them do crazy shit like this all the time. When he was able to call her, he would always tell her these crazy stories about how they were dropped off in the desert for five days, no food or water, anything. He'd survived it like it was just a joke. He was the one who thrived in situations like this; always planning ahead, always in survival mode. When they were on the road, he had made a list of rules. The first rule was; when in doubt, run! The second was, don't stop in busy areas, which included cities and highways. Oops.

Desperation made you do crazy things. She had run out of food a couple days ago, surviving on leaves and berries she had found in the woods along the way. Her water supply had been dwindling for some time, but she had finally run dry a few hours ago. While on a normal day, she would have kept going until she found a more secluded area to search for a water supply, today was not a normal day. The heat was unbearable. Georgia was not too forgiving when it came to the heat, even if the world had already suffered enough. If she had to guess, it was at least a hundred degrees out, not including the heat index. Despite driving down the highway with the windows down, it did nothing to cool her off. Finally, she gave in and found a fairly good area on the highway to park her car. There were cars close together, providing her some cover and an easy escape if things went wrong. She had managed to go through a few cars, finding small things, knives, a couple cans of jerky. No water. Placing her findings in her small Honda Civic, a car she had taken a couple weeks back, she went to one of the SUV's across the way and began to syphon gas. As the small red canister filled up, she had heard it. A sick, growling sound coming in between the cars. One of the infected, sensing her, turned its attention and began its quick shuffle toward her. She could handle one by herself. She waited for it to come closer before she shoved against the SUV and stuck her knife right between its eyes. The growling ceased as it thumped to the ground.

She smiled with satisfaction. It was then followed by a grimace in guilt. She shouldn't feel proud of herself for this. These were people at one point, living, breathing, human beings. But they wanted to kill her. They wanted to devour every inch of her living body, inside and out. Her stomach felt queasy as she thought about it. She turned her attention back to the gas tank, which had emptied its contents. As she was screwing the lid back onto the canister, she heard the growling again. She had turned expecting to see just another straggler, but she nearly had a heart attack when she saw a herd of almost eighty of the gross creatures. She was frozen in place for a moment, contemplating what to do. Her car was too far at this point, even if it was only twenty feet away. She had no time to get in and drive off. She had also not thought to grab any of her guns or other weapons. She only had the knife Teddy had given her a few weeks ago; the one with her name engraved on the handle. So she went for the go to plan b of any situation like this; run. She took off over the guard rail, sprinting into the woods. She heard growling and snapping behind her, so she knew she was being followed. _Run, run, run, run, _she chanted to herself. Although her already exhausted body was protesting heavily, she continued on. Now, here she was; drained, hungry, and unfathomably thirsty.

She was stupid and reckless and this was what she had to show for it. Her legs finally gave out against the tree and she made no attempt to get back up once she was down. She was sure she had lost whatever was following her. _Water, _her body was screaming at her. She had none. She hadn't seen a pond or anything either. Not to mention, where the hell was she? She hadn't even thought to pay attention to where she was going or how to get back. She broke Teddy's rule number 3; always pay attention to your surroundings. _Fuck, _she screamed at herself,_ you are such an idiot! _Despite the anger and fear that were battling inside of her, she did something crazy; she laughed. She laughed at the irony of it all. She had been through her share of grief, pain, and fear. She had thought herself a survivor, she thought she had changed from the weak little girl she had been to a strong woman whose death would be for something, not from her own stupidity.

Her head was spinning, her shoulders were on fire, and her breath was becoming shallow. Her throat was begging to be satisfied. She tried to take her mind off the fact that she was dying of thirst in the middle of the woods by thinking of her brother and her former life. Neither of these things helped the pain, they only made it worse. Her brother was gone and her former life, well she hated that too. Her body was weak because of it. She had only recovered from an eating disorder less than a year ago. It was so cliché; the model that suffered from anorexia, but she was and as much as she was ashamed, she had been trying to make herself better. While she had long since stopped allowing the pressure of work to cause her to stop eating, she had yet to fully recover. Her body was frail, hardly any muscle, and sure as hell no fat. She was not built for an apocalypse that was for certain.

She licked her lips, which had begun to shrivel and dry like a fish in the desert. Her saliva was thick, causing the ability to swallow to be a challenge. She also shivered, as if she were cold and bumps were rising on her skin. Despite the harsh Georgia heat, she was no longer producing sweat. So this is what it felt like to have nothing left. All she felt was emptiness.

The corners of her eyes were beginning to darken, the sun was no longer shining brightly, but becoming a dim ray of light. She was slipping into unconsciousness, and she knew she should fight it, but what was the point? Her legs wouldn't move; they just lay like dead things hanging off her body. She was paralyzed at this point, no matter how much she tried. Things were white, black, and every color. _So beautiful. _

An awful snarl broke her out of her stupor, luckily just in time to react. The vicious creature dragged its way over to her still body its jaws snapping at the prospect of fresh meat. _Hales, _her brothers voice called from somewhere in the distance, _do something! Don't just lie there like a worm on a hook! _The creature was close to her now, so close to taking her pain away. _HALEY! _She heard him again¸_ you can't just become one of those things! I died for you! LIVE! _

_Live. _His voice echoed in her head. Live, live, live, live. Just as the thing took hold of her leg to take a big chunk out of her knee cap, she lunged, tackling it to the ground. It rolled above her, its teeth snapping uncomfortably close to her face. She conjured all her energy, every ounce left in her body, and somehow managed to stick her knife right in the sucker's eye. It immediately stopped its advances and fell limply on top of her. She felt the blood smear onto her face and neck, but she couldn't get it off of her. Her body was finally shutting down, the final exertion was the last amount of life it had.

"I'm so sorry, Teddy," she croaked, her eyes burning but unable to produce the tears, "I'm too weak. You should still be here, not me. I'm so sorry."

Her mind went blank then, allowing all guilt, sadness, anger, and desperation fade into the trees above her. Teddy's voice was gone. She was left alone. As she faded into darkness, the last thing she heard was the loud pop of a gunshot.

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**Author's Note: Hi, so first off this is my first story on this website. I would say don't be too critical, but I love to hear what I can improve, what I do well, etc. So have at the reviews! Second, this is a replacement chapter. I redid it because I didn't like the first version. Simple as that. Anyways a few things to know about this story:**

**1. It is a Daryl/OC fanfiction. He is obviously my favorite character and I wish they would bring someone in for him. Yes, I know there is Carol but I just don't like them together...sorry. I don't dislike her at all, just not them together.**

**2. Taking place during Season 2 and forward. I will stick to the major plot, but I will also add and change some things. However, the big things will remain. I would like to use my creative freedom!**

**3. This will be decently long, although I can't promise frequent updates. College and two jobs keeps me very busy. The relationship between Daryl in Haley will take some time. If you want I love yous and sexual encounters in the first three chapters...this isn't it. **

**Read, Review, and enjoy my lovely friends! **

**-Liz**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Walking Dead or its characters. Haley, I do own and all the plot lines that go with her.**

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They were beginning to give up already, that much he could tell. Daryl wiped the sweat from his eyes as he continued to trudge through the forest, the group of four slowly falling further behind him. It had been less than a few hours since little Sophia disappeared, and they were already showing signs of lost hope. He found it somewhat bizarre that he was the one who seemed most determined to find Sophia and he had the least amount of interaction with her. He didn't really interact with anyone, for that matter. He was a loner. He wasn't one for attachment. It made you vulnerable and weak. There was not enough room in this world for petty things like that. His brother had always told him to rely on himself and nobody else and he always had. It had worked out for him pretty well so far. He felt it changing, though. He felt it while the group was in the CDC, the first time he had seen any of them laugh and look as though they weren't absolutely doomed. Plus, the flow of alcohol contributed to him being way more open than usual. He's pretty sure he uttered the word 'booyah.' He was actually beginning to like these people. He wasn't sure how he felt about that. He'd actually been considering leaving. He didn't want to care about these people, but something had held him back and he wasn't sure what.

He felt like he could make it better on his own. Being in a group this large slowed him down. He had to go at the pace of everyone else, which only had one setting; slow. Like right now, for example.

They were currently walking through some forest off the side of the highway, searching for a twelve year old girl. He wasn't sure how this had happened, but it did. They were on the highway, raiding cars for supplies when a herd came out of nowhere. He'd been much further down than the others, so he was the last to come out of hiding. Plus, he'd been too busy saving T-dog's dumb ass to help prevent all of this. By the time he'd unburied himself from a pile of dead walkers and helped T-dog back to the others, everything had already unfolded. Lori was doing her best to calm a devastated Carol and Rick had disappeared into the woods to chase after Sophia. When he came back, he explained how he'd led two walkers off her trail and told her to stay hidden in some crevice in a creek. He and Rick went back to get her, but she had ran. A walker appeared not soon after and they had feared the worst; she had already been devoured. Killing and cutting open the bastard proved otherwise. Still having hope she was out there, the group split up, Rick with Shane and his son, Carl and he the four others. He'd wished he could have just gone out alone. He definitely would have covered more ground by now.

"Y'all keep walkin' at this pace, we'll be to that tree over there by Christmas," he called behind him.

He heard a groan behind him and he didn't have to turn around to know who it belonged to. Andrea came with two settings; slow and bitchy. The girl didn't take to kindly to being told what to do, how to do it, or anything of that sorts. He cut her some slack because of her sister and all, but she needed to get the hell over it and move on. It sounded harsh, but he'd been through the same thing with Merle. Hell, he doesn't even know if Merle's dead, but he could only spend so much time angry and upset before moving on with his life. It wasn't going to bring him back. Andrea was stuck in this life or death limbo, unsure of which one she preferred. She was about five seconds away from being blown to bits at the CDC when Dr. Jenner tried killing them all. Dale convinced her to leave somehow. He guessed it was because he threatened to stay with her and she didn't want his blood on her hands. Something like that. She hadn't been the same since her sister died and she needed to figure it out quick; this isn't the world you want to be in if you don't even know if you want to survive.

He heard footsteps rapidly approach him and turned to see Glenn, the Chinese guy…or Korean. Whatever. He seemed pretty nervous about something. As usual. The kid was going to have a heartattack by the age of thirty if he didn't calm down.

"Hey, uh," he stammered, "Maybe, uh…"

"Spit it out," he grumbled. He didn't have time for this.

"Maybe we should rest for a second," he finally said, "I mean, we've been walking for a pretty long time. We should regroup and you know, talk about where to go from here and stuff."

Daryl wasn't fond of the idea, but considering how far back the rest had fallen, he knew it was probably best.

"Fine," he said stopping at a fallen tree and turning around.

The rest soon caught up, taking a seat on the tree while he scanned the ground for anything he could use to track Sophia. He glanced at the group and saw the girl's mother, Carol, looking absolutely hopeless, staring into the trees as though she was trying to force her daughter to come walking out from behind one. Seeing her look this way only strengthened his resolve to find the girl alive. The woman had already been through enough, dealing with an abusive husband who didn't give two shits about her. He could identify with her in that aspect. His dad could have cared less about him and Merle. That's why he'd always relied on himself; there wasn't anyone else to rely on. Merle was in and out of juvie all the time, no telling when he'd be hauled off, so it was just him. He was strong enough for that; being alone. Carol wasn't and that's why it was so important that they find her. Without Sophia, Carol would be alone in this world and she was too fragile to survive that way.

He heard a small sob escape from behind him and soothing coos of , "it'll be okay" and "we'll find her" from Lori and Andrea. His jaw hardened and he readjusted the crossbow awkwardly. He glanced over and he and Glenn shared a knowing look. While he wasn't much, it was nice to have some testosterone in this group. This emotional stuff wasn't his area of expertise. Actually, he avoided it at all costs. He cleared his throat and stepped forward.

"Let's keep moving," he said softly. The two women helped Carol from her seat and Lori put a protective arm around her, guiding her forward.

As they began to move forward, a loud pop stopped them dead in their tracks. A small noise escaped Carol that sounded like a cry of despair. It was a gunshot.

"What was that?" Glenn squeaked nervously. Daryl held up his hand signaling for them to remain silent in case he heard something moving through the woods. Crossbow forward, he stepped toward the way the gunshot came, and listened. Dead silence.

"Maybe Rick and them came across a walker," he guessed putting his weapon down and turning back around, "Come on."

"Or maybe something happened!" Lori countered him, her face contorted into one of absolute panic. He could see the gears turning in her head and he knew she was thinking worst case scenario at this point. Always so negative, that one.

She continued on, "You know good and well that neither Shane or Rick would use their gun on just one walker."

She did have a point.

"Well, I didn't hear any yellin' or movement," he told her, "If something happened, we would have heard more than just one shot."

She didn't have a reply to him but he could tell she wasn't satisfied.

"Now come on," he ordered them to move behind him. They reluctantly followed, sticking closer to him this time.

They continued on, still not finding any sign of Sophia. The sun was beginning to make its slow decent in the west and he knew the time was coming for them to head back to the highway.

"You still worried about that shot?" he heard Andrea ask.

No one answered but he figured she was talking to Lori who'd given her some silent answer in return. He turned to face them once more.

"We should probably head back," he said, "Don't want to get stuck out here at night. We'd have a lot more to worry about than just some walkers."

No one argued, they just fell behind him as he passed. Since when did he become a leader? Not too long ago he was just a redneck Dixon they tolerated. He glanced at Carol and she just looked defeated; a look of sadness, yet understanding written on her face. She gave him a sad smile and nodded her head. The others seemed somewhat grateful that they'd finally be going back, no hint of reluctance at all. Shows how much they cared.

"We'll pick it up tomorrow," he told them before backtracking.

As they doubled back the way they came, no one noticed when Andrea wandered off until they heard her scream. They quickly found her pinned to the ground by a walker snapping its jaws, coming to close for comfort to taking her nose off. She writhed beneath it, screaming and pushing against it, barely holding its jaws away from her. He pulled bow up and aimed for the walkers head, hoping it wasn't close enough to wear his arrow would take out both of them. Before he could pull the trigger, something knocked the walker two feet backwards onto its back. Andrea was still lying on the ground in shock, when he looked up to see a younger woman on a horse, a frantic look on her face.

"What the –" he started but was cut off by the woman spitting out a name.

"Lori," she called, "Lori Grimes?!"

Everyone sprinted for her, Lori stepping forward, "That's me, I'm Lori."

"Rick sent me," she explained, "You gotta come now!"

"What?" Lori said taken aback. How did this woman know her name? Rick's name?

"There's been an accident, Carl's been shot!"

Lori's face twisted with fear and shock as she fully registered what the stranger was telling her.

"Is he—" she started.

"He's still alive," the girl confirmed, "You gotta come right now, though!"

"Rick needs you! Just come" she ordered when she saw the look of apprehension on the others.

No longer hesitating, Lori removed her pack and allowed the stranger to pull her up onto the horse.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Daryl reacted, "We don't know this girl! You can't just go jumpin' on to her horse!"

"Rick said there were others," she countered his suspicion, "On the highway?"

Glenn nodded before he could say anything. The girl then sputtered something that sounded like directions and to look for a mailbox that said Greene on it. Then, just as quick as she came, they were gone. They each stared at each other for a moment, unsure of what to say or do. The silence was broken when the previously still walker began to growl and get up.

"Shut up." Daryl muttered before releasing an arrow between its eyes. He walked over to Andrea, who had yet to get up, and offered a hand. Helping her up he jerked his head forward, silently telling them to continue.

Just as he began to move forward, he noticed a foreign mark in the ground and told the group to hold up for a moment. He walked over, crouching down to inspect the indention in the dirt and saw it was a foot print. It looked small and saw that there was multiple traveling along the same path. They were too precise to be a walker and none of them had walked on this part. The foot print was small enough to be a child's foot. He waved them over.

"Footprints," he explained, "There pretty small."

Immediately Carol perked up, her dull eyes filling with hope at the discovery.

"They could be ours," Andrea said warily, not wanting to get the woman's hopes up just to discover it was one of theirs.

"Well let's find out," he said. He had Andrea and Carol both put their foot up to the print, discovering that their feet were far too big for it.

Without a word he began following the prints, leading him to a clearing. He looked up and saw something lying beneath a tree and stopped.

"Careful," he told the others. They stood back warily, weapons raised just in case the body reanimated. He loaded and arrow into his bow and moved forward slowly.

With his crossbow aimed and ready, he made his way to the corpse and kicked its foot, expecting it to jump up and lunge for him. It didn't move. It was only when he took a closer look at it that he noticed a small knife embedded in its skull. Reaching down, he yanked the knife out, examining it. He didn't recognize it.

"You didn't happen to give Sophia a knife, did you?" he asked Carol. She shook her head as she saw the knife he was holding. He rolled the body out of the way and staggered back when he discovered another body lying beneath it, belonging to a petite girl, no older than twenty it looked like. Blood was smeared down her face and neck, splattering on her shirt and abdomen. He examined her, looking for the sign of a bite mark, rotting flesh, or scratches but found none. Was she alive?

"What the hell?"

Noticing that it was safe, the others made their way over, all examining the girl as well, double checking for any sign that she might be dangerous. They too found nothing.

"Is she alive?" Glenn asked poking her in the arm, leg, and stomach. He jumped back waiting for her to claw and growl at him, but she remained motionless.

"I don't know, but pokin' and shit ain't gonna solve anything," he muttered at him

Glenn's cheeks turned red and he remained silent, not touching the body anymore.

"You got a gun?" Daryl asked Andrea. She nodded her head.

"I'm gonna try to feel for a pulse or somethin'" he explained, "Just in case she tries takin' my arm off, you put a bullet in her head if she makes any sudden movements. Got it?"

Andrea nodded again cocking the small revolver and aiming at the forehead. She signaled she way ready and he placed two fingers on the side of her neck, pushing softly into the skin. At first he felt nothing but the softness of the flesh beneath his fingers, but then he felt it; the small faint thumping of a pulse. A heart still beat and blood still ran in this body.

"She's alive."

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**A/N: Another chapter down, much longer than the first, though not nearly long enough. They will get longer as the story progresses, I promise. The beginning is just a bunch of plot set up and mumbo jumbo. Our two main characters have met, though! Sort of. I'll be beginning with the plot of season 2 as the backdrop, changing a few things here and there, time for the most part. Hope you all enjoy and keep following! This is going to be a somewhat longer Daryl/OC fic…I don't want to rush things. Plus, gotta keep the suspense going! Read and review! **

**P.S - If you are looking for a face to put with my character, check out my cover or Google Analeigh Tipton. I think she is gorgeous and is very much how I picture my character. **

**-Liz**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Walking Dead, it's characters, or zombies. Haley is mine. That is all.**

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She was alive. There was no mistaking the rise and fall of her chest or the beat of the pulse underneath his fingers. Daryl paused for a moment, assessing what was lying before him. This girl had nothing on her except the clothes on her back; a thin purple tank top, jean shorts, and a pair of worn boots that had a large hole in the left heel. Other than that, he saw no guns, no pack, or not even a water bottle. He also assumed that the knife he had yanked out of the walker's skull was hers. As far as he could tell, she was bare. The only reason he could think of for why she had nothing on her was that she had a campsite somewhere near here. At that thought, he felt a hundred questions began to cloud his head. Was she alone? Was there a group? Were they dangerous? How far were they? Did she see Sophia?

He moved his fingers from her neck and placed his hand on her forehead feeling for a potential fever. He had looked her over a couple times for any sign of a bite, but there weren't any profound injuries. Other than a few scrapes and bruises, she was clean. No missing chunks of flesh and no signs of fresh blood except for the walker's black gook that had dried onto her neck and cheeks. Her skin was hot beneath his palm, causing him to glance over her once more. If she had been bitten, he would be able to see it, right?

"You're sure she isn't bit?" Andrea asked apprehensively. He didn't have to turn around to know she still had her gun trained on the girl.

"Nah," he said, "She's hot, but I don't see any bites. I reckon she's been out here in the heat too long. I don't see a pack anywhere. No water neither."

He abruptly turned to Glenn and stuck out his hand, "Hand me your water bottle."

"What?" Glenn asked, surprised, "Why? What do you need it for? Is she okay?"

"Quit asking so many damn questions and hand me the stupid thing," Daryl snapped. Did the kid have to ask a thousand questions every time someone asked him to do something? Jesus.

Glenn's face turned red and he clumsily shrugged his pack of his back, unzipping it and digging around. He found the metal canteen, something he'd picked up off one of the dead marines in Atlanta, and handed it over without a word. His lips were white with pressure as he held them in a thin line as if restraining himself from blurting out more questions.

"Givin' her some water," he explained as he unscrewed the cap, "See how her lips are all cracked and dry? Her skin's all tight and her face is as red yours, chinaman. I think she's got sun poisonin' or somethin'."

The others observed the girl and noted the way her lips were peeling, blood seeping the small cracks that had appeared. Her cheeks were a deep crimson and her skin looked as though it were being stretched over her skull like a rubber band. She was definitely dehydrated, that was for sure.

He moved down to one knee and removed the crossbow from his shoulder, lying it beside him. He slowly moved closer, putting his hands underneath her armpits and hoisting her into a sitting position, using the tree trunk for support. Still unconscious, he placed his hand beneath her chin and tilted it up. Her mouth was slightly agape, enabling him to life the canteen and carefully pour a small amount of water into the small gap. The water didn't make it very far before dripping down her chin and onto her chest before pooling on her shirt.

"What are we going to do when she wakes up?" Andrea interrupted him.

"I'm gonna ask her some questions," he growled, "See if she's got others with her or if she might have seen Sophia."

Carol, who had been paying no mind to the stranger, came from her post across from them, suddenly interested in this new development.

"You think she might have seen her?" she asked sheepishly. She hated the false hope everyone seemed to be feeding her, but this sounded plausible in her mind.

"I dunno," he said honestly, "But there's a chance. Who knows how long she's been wanderin' around here."

Her eyes sparkled with returned hope and she nodded her head before stepping back and once again gazing into the trees.

"Are we going to take her back with us?" Glenn finally asked, knowing it was the same question on everyone else's mind. He knew they were weighing the options as well. Take her back or let her fend for herself. From the looks of it, fending for herself wasn't working to well for her.

"We can't just leave her out here," Andrea conceded, "I mean, she'd be ate up in no time."

"We can at least get her back to the highway, and –" Glenn began to say but was immediately cut off.

"God dammit," Daryl hissed at them, "We ain't doing nothin' 'til we get some answers! Now shut it!"

Glenn once again retracted himself with red cheeks while Andrea crossed her arms and gave him a dirty look. Woman can't stand being told to be quiet…or told to do anything really. One of those feminists or something.

He lifted the canteen once more and tipped it back, allowing a little more to enter her mouth. Most of it rolled down her chin again, but he saw her throat contract and knew she had managed to swallow some of it. However, she still didn't show any signs of consciousness. Her body lay limp against the tree, the only sign of life in her petite frame was the shallow breath coming from her nose. He poured a few more sips and still received no reaction. He looked at the others and they simply shrugged as if to say they didn't know what to do. _Well since they have no suggestions…_ he thought. He rolled his eyes and decided on a plan b. Switching to a standing position, he raised his arm above her head and tipped the canteen over allowing all its contents to come splashing down onto her skin. The reaction was instant. Her eyes snapped open and before he had time to say anything, he felt something slam against his knees, causing his legs to buckle and his body to go slamming down to the ground. His head hit the dirt, causing his eyes to blur for a moment. He felt a pressure on his stomach, and then something was digging into his throat. As his vision cleared, a pair of wild, gray, wolf-like eyes were boring into his.

"The fuck?!" he choked out. He vaguely heard the click of a gun followed by a string of curse words. The gray eyes left his, distracted by the blonde who was fumbling with the colt 45. He took her moment of distraction as his advantage and bucked her off of him. She slipped to the side just enough for him to grab hold of her arm and twist it. Before she could defend herself, he had her on her stomach, arm twisted behind her back, yelling into the dirt.

"Crazy bitch!" he spat at her, "I was tryin' to help you!"

She groaned in pain, mumbling something into the soil. He loosened his grip on her wrist a bit when he noticed the tips of her fingers beginning to turn purple. Oops. Her feeble attempts at wriggling free had halted and her body relaxed into the ground. She wasn't much of a fighter.

"Just kill me now," she croaked, "Get it over with."

He was taken aback by the sound of despair in her voice. Just a second ago, she had him pinned like a lion, ready to stick a knife in his head. Lucky for him, she didn't have it. Now she was on the ground, begging to be killed. Women are so bipolar.

"We ain't gonna kill you," he told her, "You're lucky my friend over here don't know how to work a gun though or you'd probably have a bullet in your head for that shit you just pulled."

He heard Andrea huff in irritation at his dig at her. So she might or might not have forgotten to take the safety off. Hell, in her eyes it was a good mistake. She almost killed a living person. She still felt guilty killing walkers, let alone someone who was still living and breathing. The girl tried to speak, her voice getting lost somewhere in her throat. A sharp noise was the only thing that escaped her. He shifted his knee so it was no longer digging into her back. He slowly moved himself off of her, staying prepare in case she decided to tackle him again, but she didn't move. If it weren't for the strange noises coming from her attempted speech, he'd think she was dead. She shifted, placing both hands flat on the ground, as if she were doing a push up. She pushed, but her muscles had long since quit on her and she didn't move an inch.

"Now don't try tacklin' me again," he told her firmly before placing his hands underneath her and easily sitting her up. Once again, he used the tree trunk for support and she gratefully accepted the help. Her eyes were dull and heavy for the most part, but there was a trace of fear in them.

"We ain't gonna hurt you," he repeated, making sure she understood. She must have had some bad encounters with strangers because she was looking at him as though he was gonna put a knife in her head at any moment. He then realized what he must look like to her. His arms had specks of blood caked on them and his face was covered in what was probably a weeks' worth of dirt and sweat. Not too mention the look in his eyes was a bit off putting. There was no friendliness in his eyes or his face, really. He looked quite angry most of the time. He also seemed broody, from what he'd been told. He stood up and walked to Glenn.

"Talk to her," he grumbled, "You're better at it than me."

"What?" Glenn said nervously, his eyes going wide, "What do I say."

"Just talk to her, give her somethin' to drink. Make sure she knows we won't hurt her."

Glenn nodded before moving to where Daryl had stood previously. He kneeled down and said something to the girl softly. He introduced himself and offered her something to drink, telling her once again they weren't going to hurt her. He managed to get a small chuckle out of her when he said something but he didn't quite hear it.

"We need to get back," Andrea told him softly, "It's going to get dark soon."

Daryl nodded and went next to Glenn who was asking about Sophia.

"She's twelve," he was saying, "She's got really short blonde hair and is skinny as a lamp post."

She shook her head. Well that answered that question.

"So you don't have a group anywhere?" Daryl interjected. They needed to get this show on the road. They had about another mile and half to the high way and they needed to go now to make it back in time.

She shook her head again, tilting her head back to drink the last few drops of the canteen. Her throat was feeling significantly better but she still felt weak and light headed. How the hell was she going to make it back to her car?

"Well, listen," Daryl finally conceded, "We can take you back to the highway where some of our group is waitin'. Get you some water, find you a car."

Instead of telling them she already had a car and plenty of supplies with it, she simply nodded. While the group seemed harmless, she didn't quite trust them, at least not yet. She couldn't tell these people anything. She would pretend she couldn't talk, maybe pretend to pass out. Definitely wouldn't give her name. They'd help her to the highway, give her some water, and send her on her way. Yes, that was best.

"Let's go then," he said before offering her a hand to help her up. She took it, allowing him to pull her up. Standing straight up he realized how tall she was. She had to have been just less than six feet. Hell, he only had a couple of inches on her. Her knees shook beneath her, reminding him of a baby deer learning to walk.

"Andrea take point," he ordered, "I need you to have your gun ready. And take off the safety this time."

She rolled her eyes, but accepted his request. He waved Glenn over and told him he was to help carry the new addition. They each took an arm and placed her over his shoulder. He had to stifle his laugh when he saw that the chinaman was at least five inches shorter than her, making him look even smaller. They began their walk to the highway, running into no trouble along the way. Seeing the familiar trees he guessed they had about ten minutes left until they reached Dale and his Winnebago. He'd never looked forward to seeing that piece of crap, but it sounded so good right about now.

He looked to his left and saw Glenn beginning to ware down from the girls weight on him. She had been stumbling next to them, her legs not quite working properly, causing Glenn to also stumble more than usual.

"For fucks sake," he grumbled before releasing the girls arm. She not so gracefully fell against Glenn and he stumbled back, grabbing hold of her in time before she fell to the ground. He pulled the crossbow over his head and handed it to the nearest person, who happened to be Carol. She took hold of it nervously, not sure exactly what to do with it. The girl, who was leaning her entire weight on Glenn now and he was trying to stay up right, but her tall frame looked as though it was swallowing him. He grabbed her arm, before wrapping both arms around her waist and hoisting her up. He threw her over his shoulder, fireman style, and began walking again. She was incredibly light. He'd carried deer that weighed more than her. She squirmed on his shoulder, attempting to slide off, but he held her tight. She huffed in defeat as she could nothing but dangle like a dead body over his shoulder.

"What the hell?" he heard Dale say when they had finally made it to the guard rail.

"Who's that? Where's Lori?" he fired off before they could even catch their breath.

Glenn explained the avenger on the horse and Lori's absence quickly. Dales face contorted into one of confusion and worry.

"Carl was shot?" Dale exclaimed, "Is he okay?"

"Said he was alive," Glenn shrugged, "They got a farm down the road. Told us where to go."

"You just let her go with a stranger?" he asked, incredulous that they had just let Rick's wife run off with a woman on a horse.

"She knew Rick and Carl's names. She saved Andrea. She told us where to find them," Glenn told him, shrugging his shoulders, "I think we can trust her."

"Saved Andrea?" Of course that's all the old man heard. Andrea was his pride and joy in this group.

"Got attacked by a walker," Glenn explained, "It was a close call."

"Are you okay?" Andrea walked past the older man without answering, simply giving him a dirty look before entering into the RV.

Dale sighed and turned his attention to Daryl, who still had someone slung over his shoulder.

"What's that?" Dale asked.

"The hells it look like?" Daryl retorted.

Glenn intervened, "Found her in the woods, she was unconscious. Managed to take a walker down before she passed out I guess."

"Is she bit?" he asked, allowing his eyes to run over her small frame.

"Nah," Daryl said, "Sun stroke or somethin'."

"So you let Lori go with a stranger in the woods and then picked up another one along the way?"

"Guess so," he replied shifting the girl as she began to slide off. He noticed an open folding chair sitting outside the RV and took her over to it. Gently placing her in it, she sat back closing her eyes, wishing her head would stop spinning for a moment.

"You got a name?" Daryl asked.

She kept her mouth shut. He knew she probably felt sick and exhausted from being in the sun all day, but they had saved her ass and she couldn't tell them her name. Though irritated, he wasn't going to press her. At least, not right now. They'd probably stay on the highway until morning, giving her a chance to regenerate and them a chance to figure out what they were doing. He stood there in awkward silence, not sure whether to try and talk to her or not. He couldn't just leave her alone. She was an outsider and needed to be watched. That was the rules, generally. Most people couldn't be trusted.

He heard someone approaching and turned to see Dale. He nodded at him and he told him that Glenn and T-dog were going ahead to the farm, since T-dogs arm was messed up pretty bad. He needed medicine, maybe stitches.

"Hell," Daryl said, "You shoulda said something. Got my brothers stash."

His bike wasn't parked to far from the RV. He walked over, opening the satchel that was attached to the side. He found the clear plastic bag he was looking for, an assortment of clear prescription bottles. He dug through the rougher stuff; oxycodone, ecstasy, and he's pretty sure one held weed. He found the mediocre dose of pain medicine and came back to Dale, who had been joined by T-dog and Glenn. Handing T-dog the bottle, he accepted gratefully, swallowing two without water. Handing him the bottle, he grabbed a a single pill, asking Dale to grab a bottle of water. He quickly returned, and the girl was given the small pain pill as well as bottle of water. This seemed to help her relax a bit and she spoke for the first time since asking him to kill her.

"Thanks," she said quietly.

"Those will make you pretty tired," he told her, "We got a couch, if you wanna rest there."

She nodded and managed to make it out of the chair alone, before Dale was next to her assisting her to the entrance of the RV.

"I got her," he said. Daryl nodded and turned to the other two men. They gave him directions to the farm; Glenn always remembered this thing, and bid him goodbye before getting into the old Chevy truck and heading down the road. He noticed Carol sitting on the guard rail, and before thinking any better, he joined her. He sat down and she gave him a small smile of recognition before turning her attention back to the road. He sighed.

He shouldn't feel guilty. After all, it wasn't his kid. But he should have helped rather than lie like a dead body under that pile of walkers. He would have brought her back. Carol, she was fragile. Not cut out for this world alone. Her husband had done a real number on her. Thank God that bastard was dead. They say in comfortable silence for what felt like minute, but the sun had gone in and the moon was beginning to glow. He nudged her with his elbow and told her they should go in for the night, that they'd resume in the morning. She nodded and reluctantly followed him inside.

Their new acquaintance was fast asleep on the couch, a small rag was placed over her eyes. An empty plate and bottle lie next to her.

"You get a name?" he asked Dale who was sitting by her side. He shook his head.

"We should probably all get some rest," he said, "Start up tomorrow. Figure out what to do in the morning."

They all agreed, turning in for the night. Dale took first watch while Andrea moved to the passenger's seat, reclining back and not saying a word. Poor guy. He knew Dale was hoping she would watch with him, but she had ignored him ever since the CDC incident. She was a stubborn one. Carol took the bedroom, only fair in his opinion. He made a pallet of multiple blankets next to the couch, keeping her knife in his pocket just in case. Part of him knew she wasn't dangerous. If she was, she would have had more than just a knife on her. He wondered what her reluctance was to even say her name. Did she have a bad experience or something? Was she just unable to speak? He wasn't sure. He also didn't know what to do about her. On one hand, he was fine with just sending her on her way tomorrow. He'd give her the knife back, find her a car, and wish her luck. Something else told him he shouldn't let her go. The more numbers they had the better, plus he felt bad for leaving her in this shape on her own. _Quit it, sissy boy, _he heard his brother's voice, _since when did you have a conscience?_ When did he start caring what happened to these people? No one cared what happened to him, so why should he?

No, tomorrow, he would let her go and let it be that. He had too much on his plate to worry about. Rick's son was lying on his death bed, Sophia was missing. Last thing they needed was an addition to the group. He closed his eyes and placed his hand in his pocket. He wrapped his fingers around his knife, feeling a sense of comfort from the cool blade. As he drifted off to sleep, the last thing he heard was Carol's soft cries coming from the bedroom.

* * *

**A/N: Back again! Thank you to all who read, reviewed, Favorited, or followed this story! It really means a lot. If you notice a difference in writing this chapter it's because I actually outlined and edited it! I actually took the time to fix things, lengthen it, and figure out what I wanted to happen. Crazy! I know it's a tad boring right now, with the main character being silent and Daryl ready to send her away and be done. Like I said, this is a very eventual relationship, not bound to happen over night. We have many bumps and bruises. I'm trying to stay true to Daryl's character and not bring in I love you's and what not too soon. Anyways, I hope my writing is satisfactory for you all. Keep those reads and reviews coming! I love hearing what you have to say! Love you all! **

**-Liz**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: In case you were wondering, I do not own the Walking Dead. I own Haley and that's about it.**

* * *

_She could hear the screams of agony echoing around her, but she couldn't see anything. Darkness had engulfed her surrounding, making even her hands invisible to her own eyes. Nothing but darkness was before her, but she kept running. Her legs propelled her forward at light speed, but nothing seemed to change. Just screaming, just darkness. She felt as though she had been running forever, her body leading her toward an endless abyss, but then she saw it; a small speck of light shining brightly at the end of this tunnel. She ran faster, fearing that the light would close itself up, trapping her in this place forever. She broke through, the light of day illuminating the area, trees becoming visible, the green grass blowing lightly in the breeze. She felt relief flood her body. It was short lived when the screaming, which had paused for a minute, started up again._

_She whipped her head around, finally recognizing where she was. The swing set sat just where it had for the last nineteen years, the black tire swing still hanging from the rails despite the withered rope that was unraveling still. The house the sat behind the swing set still looked the same as well, but had an eerie essence to it. The bricks that had once been red, were now discolored to a pale orange, streaks of dirt slashing across them like a cat had clawed at them. She went toward the familiar house, her mind flooding with all her childhood memories. As she got closer, the screaming became louder. Jogging into the house, she followed the voice, ignoring the blows to her stomach as she passed the photos of her family, the familiar sights that held so many great memories. After checking the rooms on the bottom floor, she went upstairs, but the screams became distant once more. Where the hell was it coming from? She approached her old room, still painted the girly pink she had painted it a long time ago, the posters of her favorite bands hanging on the walls. She went to the giant window that she would sit in to do her most intense thinking and wondering, and that's when she saw it._

_Teddy was surrounded by these grotesque creatures who were nipping at his flesh with their sharp teeth and claws, itching to get a taste of his sweet and satisfying skin. Without hesitation, she was down the stairs and out into the front yard where Teddy was howling at the top of his lungs. She lunged toward him, on top of the creatures and began pushing at them._

"_Leave him alone you freaks!" she yelled, kicking one of them right in the face. It hardly wavered. They paid her no mind, but kept yanking at her brother, trying to get any piece of him they could._

"_Haley!" he was yelling, "Help me! Please!"_

_She clawed and pulled with all her strength, but the foul things would not move from her brother, chomping at him like a fresh piece of steak. His eyes were wide as he stared at his sister in utter fear and helplessness. The snarls and growls being emitted from the creatures were enough to make her cringe, but she kept pushing at them, praying they would budge. _

"_Why won't you help me?" Teddy finally said, "I need you. Help me!"_

"_I'm trying," she was sobbing now, "They won't move!"_

_His eyes changed to those of fear into ones of loathing and anger, "I always protected you, why can't you protect me?"_

_Just then, the creatures disappeared, leaving her lying on the ground, while Teddy stood above her. His body, which had previously been unscathed, began to open up; holes appeared on his toned arms, his cheek, and his shirt began to soak crimson. _

"_I needed you, and you left me," he said spitefully, "This is all your fault. You did this to me."_

"_No," she wailed, "I tried. Please, I'm so sorry."_

_Her body was shaking violently as she watched her kind, protective, and caring brother look at her in disgust, his face, which had always contained a smile, twisted into agony. His body was now covered in a dark red, dripping with blood, but he still stood above her as though he was unaffected._

"_You killed me," he spit at her, his brown eyes full of rage._

"_No!" she yelled, attempting to get up from the ground "I didn't! I swear!"_

"_You aren't even my real sister," he laughed sadistically, "My parents pitied you when they took you in. They didn't want you, not really!"_

_This wasn't her brother. He would never say these things to her, right? He loved her, looked out for her. He didn't mean it._

"_You don't mean it!" she cried, her body frozen in place._

_He simply shook his head at her and took a step back, "You did this."_

_Before she could reply, one of the risen dead returned, sinking its teeth into Teddy's neck, causing blood to pour out of him. She could hear the sound of his skin being ripped from his body._

"_NO!" she screamed._

Haley jolted awake, her eyes darting from left to right. She was lying down on a soft surface and sunlight was streaming through the sun roof above her. _Sun roof? _She quickly sat up and instantly regretted this decision as the room started spinning before her. _Just a dream, _she told herself. It felt so real and the tears on her face were definitely real. She groaned as her head continued to spin and it was then she felt a pair of hands gently push her shoulder.

"Easy there," a kind voice said. Her eyes focused to the figure before her and saw it was an elder man with kind blue eyes and a look of concern on his face. His hands were gently urging her to lie back down and she obliged, staring at the stranger warily.

"I think you were dreaming," he told her, "You were talking in your sleep. It sounded pretty violent but I was afraid to wake you."

Instead of responding, she just stared at him with her gray eyes, trying to size the man up. He looked genuinely concerned for her and seemed nice. If he had wanted to kill her, he sure as heck would have done it already. How did she get here anyways?

"We won't hurt you," he said softly, "It's okay."

"Where am I?" She said, or croaked, rather. Her voice was dry and hoarse, cracking when she spoke.

He smiled kindly, "You're safe."

She looked at him once again, trying to remember his face and piece together the events of yesterday. She was on a high way, she remembered that much. Taking in her surroundings, she noticed how small the space was. She was on a hard couch, which felt soft compared to the ground she had been lying on for the past couple of weeks, with a small kitchen across from her. When looked forward, she saw a door and two seats that looked as though they belonged in a car. An RV? Man, she didn't know people still owned these things.

"My friends," he said as if reading her mind, "They found you out in the woods. You were unconscious. Daryl seems to think you were dehydrated."

She closed her eyes as the events came flooding back. Ah yes, she had stopped on the high way to find some food and water when she was run off by a herd of those things.

"Herd," she rasped, "I got ran off by a herd."

His eyes widened, "Walkers? We got caught in a herd too!"

He seemed excited by this new revelation and held up a finger before running to the nearest window.

"Hey," he called to someone, "She's awake! Come here!"

He stopped for moment, before returning to her side and offering a bottle of water to her. She took it gratefully, her throat itching to be quenched. She tried to sit up again, but her head prevented her from doing so. The older man then offered her a hand and helped her sit up slowly. She gave him a small smile before beginning to chug from the bottle in her hand. _Thank you, Jesus! _

As she continued to drink, three others stepped into the room. She immediately felt her guard go up and she tensed nervously. Two women and one man; not too threatening, although the man looked pretty intimidating. He had short blonde hair with a small goatee the same color. His tanned and toned arms were visible through the flannel cut off he was wearing. Definitely a redneck. She had seen plenty of them around her brother's base. His eyes were observing her in the same way she was him. He was older than her, but not by much from what she could tell. The two women behind him were like night and day. One was a taller, stern looking blonde who held a gun on her hip and had frown lines etched onto her otherwise younger face. The other woman had short, cropped gray her and she looked as though she could break if the wind blew too hard. She stood behind the other two, with sadness in her eyes .

"She talkin' yet?" the blonde man asked the elder.

"Not much," he admitted, "But she did say she got ran off by a herd. I'm willing to bet it's the same one that got us!"

The other man nodded before coming up to her side and squatting, narrowing his eyes he spoke, "Where'd you see this herd at?"

She had to admit, she was afraid of him. His appearance, the look in his eyes, and even his voice was intimidating. As if sensing the tension, the older man stepped in.

"Let's get her some food first," he reasoned, "She had every reason to be a little apprehensive of us. We have to show her she can trust us."

"Why don't we just give her a gun and everything else while we're at it," the blonde woman spoke up, "How do we know we can trust her?"

They began to argue with one another about who or who shouldn't be trusted, and she took this time to evaluate the situation. Her brother had always told her she had just as much reason to fear the living as she did the dead. They could be deceiving and cruel, more so than any dead. These people didn't seem so bad. They had rescued her, apparently, and what bad person would do that? If people were as cruel as Teddy said they were, then she wouldn't be here right now. She'd probably be walking around trying to eat people like those…walkers? Is that what the old man called them?

"What's your name, girl?" the redneck called to her, bringing her out of thought. He looked at her sternly, the other three looking on with curiosity.

_Trust them, don't trust them? _She wasn't sure. Hell, she wasn't any better off on her own. If they didn't kill her, being on her own surely would. This was proof of her inability to survive on her own.

"Hey," the man said again, "I asked you a question."

"Hal," she cleared her throat, "Haley."

He nodded and said something to the older man before stepping out, taking the gray haired woman with him. The blonde went and sat in the booth across the way while the older man shuffled around the small kitchen. When he returned to her side, he was now offering her a paper plate with an assortment of crackers.

"It's not much," he told her, "But you need to eat something small."

She nodded and began nibbling on the small, round crackers as he looked on. The blonde was at the table, fumbling with her gun, paying her no mind.

"I'm Dale, by the way," he told her with a smile, "That right there is Andrea."

The blonde looked at her then and nodded before going back to her current activity.

"The other man," he continued, talking as though they were old friends, "That's Daryl. He's…he's a different. And Carol was the woman he took with them."

The man, Dale, began telling her about the others who weren't there yet. From the sound of it, they had a pretty good group. They seemed to all get on pretty well. The more he talked, the more she figured she liked him. He was a sweet older man and despite his age and the fact that the world was a shithole, his eyes had a gleam in them as though there were still things to be happy about.

"Carol's daughter just went missing," he told her, "That herd you said something about, well we ran into one too, probably the same one. They ran off her daughter, Sophia. You don't remember seeing a little girl do you? Blonde hair, a little under five feet?"

Haley shook her head as she finished off her last cracker. Her stomach was beginning to feel slightly better, although still queasy. The crackers and water were definitely helping. He smiled sadly and continued to engage her friendly conversation. He told her about how they had just come from the CDC and it was a dead end.

"Jesus, Dale," Andrea suddenly cut in harshly, "She just woke up, no need to talk her damn ear off."

"I'm just being friendly," he said softly, looking at the blonde in confusion.

"Yeah, well, we don't know her do we? She could kill you for all you know?" She grumbled gathering her things.

"I don't want any trouble," Haley tried to intervene for the older man. He was too nice to be talked down to like that.

Andrea scoffed before stomping out of the RV and slamming the screen door behind her. The older man sighed.

"She just lost her sister," he explained to her, "Had to watch her transform and then put a bullet in her head. She hasn't been the same since."

Haley nodded, "Yeah. I know exactly how she feels."

He raised his eyebrows curiously but didn't question her on it. He just asked her to tell him a little about herself. Just so he knew he could trust her.

She felt strangely comfortable with the older man. He seemed so calm and collected in this world. He also was willing to give her a chance, which was something considering they literally just picked her up out of the woods. So she told him about herself and they talked as though they had known each other in some other lifetime. She realized how much she missed talking to someone else. It had just been her for what felt like forever. As she talked to Dale, she wondered about the others. Were they this nice? If she went with them, would they accept her or would she end up by herself again? She had to take a chance, that much was certain. She had nothing to lose. She had already lost everything that really mattered to her. _Here's to taking chances, _she thought.

* * *

Daryl sighed in frustration as yet another branch snapped loudly from behind him. He had tried to be patient, but having Carol with him while he was trying to track was proving to be quite a distraction. She wasn't doing it on purpose, he knew that, but Jesus that woman could not be quiet. Instead of snapping at her like he would on a normal occasions, he simply gritted his teeth and kept walking and searching for any signs of Sophia. He had to admit, he wasn't completely focused. His mind was somewhat stuck back at the RV where Dale was chumming it up with the stranger they had brought back yesterday. He understand being nice in order to get information out of her, but Dale was taking it a little too far. They didn't know this chick and here they were feeding her and giving her water like some little kid. Okay, maybe she deserved to at least have that, but how were they supposed to know whether they could trust her or not? She could rob them blind or kill them while they slept and here they were treating her like some house guest. _That's rich, coming from you, _a voice in his head echoed, _remember why you and Merle joined the camp? _He immediately felt a twinge of guilt in his stomach. He pushed that though out of his mind and continued moving.

She looked innocent enough, no trace of deception or untrustworthiness in her eyes. He had a talent for being able to read people, otherwise known as being observant. Still, something didn't sit well with him. She already rubbed him the wrong way and she had spoken to him only when she said her name._ Haley._ Simple and normal; nothing suspicious about it. Still, he'd keep an eye on her if she came back with them. He would have no problem finding her a car and sending her on her way but he knew Dale was going to make a case for her and Dale normally won. Good ol' noble, Dale. That old man got under his skin more than anyone, which said a lot considering all of these people were a pain in the ass. He was always trying to do 'the right thing.' There wasn't no 'right thing' in this world anymore and he needed to realize that. Survival of the fittest.

His irritation finally got the best of him when another loud snap broke him out of his thought. He whipped around and faced the older woman, lowering his crossbow and huffing.

"Let's go on back," he said, "Once we get to Rick and them, we'll organize a better search."

Carol didn't argue, but simply followed him as he walked the direction they had come from. He couldn't see her, but he knew she was silently crying again. He hadn't said anything about hearing her last night, but now it was clear as day and he didn't want to make things worse by acknowledging her tears. As he contemplated what to do about the woman shuffling behind him, something caught his attention. Not too far ahead was a small bush. Nothing out of the ordinary except for the two white blossoms that sat perfectly still on top of it. He made his way to the bush and carefully plucked one of the flowers from the tree. Examining it, he then turned to Carol who was looking at him in confusion.

"A flower?" she asked softly.

"It's a Cherokee Rose," he explained quietly, "The story is that when American soldiers were movin' Indians off their land on the Trail of Tears, the Cherokee mothers were grievin' and cryin' so much 'cause they were losing their little ones along the way from exposure and disease and starvation. A lot of them just disappeared. So the elders, they said a prayer; asked for a sign to uplift the mothers' spirits, give them strength and hope. The next day this rose started to grow where the mothers' tears fell. I'm not fool enough to think there's any flowers blooming for my brother. But I believe this one bloomed for your little girl."

Handing her the flower, she then allowed her tears to fall freely. Instinctively, she threw her arms around his neck and squeezed, her tears causing his shirt to become damp. His arms remained at his side, his crossbow loosely gripped in his hand. She didn't seem to mind, though. She pulled back and looked at him.

"Thank you," she said and for the first time in a while, she actually smiled. He just nodded and continued their journey back to the RV. Nothing was said the rest of the way, but he knew it wasn't necessary. He gave her hope, even if just a little, it was more than anyone else had given her thus far.

They arrived at the RV to see Andrea perched on top, where Dale normally held position. She was leaning back in the folding chair, her head pointed toward the sun. She looked as though she was…tanning. He hoped not or he might just drag her down by her blonde hair. Nobodies got time for that shit. Carol walked over to the car where supplies were laid out for Sophia and twirled the flower he had given her between her fingers. He turned and entered the RV where Dale and Haley were still talking, the girl looking much too comfortable for his liking.

"We should probably head to the farm soon," he said, breaking into their conversation. He sat his crossbow down in the booth, before facing them with crossed arms and a stern look on his face.

"Of course," Dale said, "Is Carol going to be okay?"

"She'll be fine," he grumbled, "We'll come back every day, search more once we're back with Rick and them."

Dale nodded and got up from his seat. He jerked his head to the side, motioning for Daryl to follow him outside. The younger man followed him out, shutting the door behind him.

"I already know what you're gonna say," Daryl said immediately, "We already got Carl and Sophia to worry about, we don't need some stranger comin' in and causin' trouble."

Dale shook his head, "She won't be any trouble. She's been on her own for a while and we'd be signing her death certificate by sending her out on her own again."

"We might be signing ours by bringin' her in," he growled.

"Now you know that's a crock," Dale snorted, "She can't be more than a hundred fifteen pounds and she's unarmed. Yeah, she'll kill us all."

He rolled his eyes, but knew Dale was right. He was going to lose out on this one with Dale, but he wasn't in charge. Rick and Shane would probably feel the same way he did on the matter, any how. He didn't have time to worry about this puny little girl.

"Plus," Dale added, "Isn't it strangers that have taken Carl in to heal him. Not all people are bad, Daryl."

He shrugged his shoulders, "Whatever. We need to head out."

Dale smiled in victory and went back in to the RV. He walked over to his bike, agitated by his loss in the argument and by Dale's nobility. Deep down, he knew it was stupid not to trust the girl. She could do no harm and hell, they could use the numbers. Not to mention, he had been a stranger with bad intentions once and they took him and Merle in. He needed to stop worrying about this girl and focus on finding Sophia.

It didn't take long for them to hit the road, Daryl leading the way on his motorcycle with Dale following in his RV. He recalled the directions Glenn had told him yesterday with ease, finding the farm in no time. As they drove down the narrow dirt road, the large white house came into view and his mouth dropped open slightly.

The farm looked as though it had been untouched by this evil world, the house shining brightly under the Georgia sun. It was surrounded by acres of land, which held a few horses and cattle, roaming casually as if there was nothing to fear. He could see figures emerging from the house and gathering on the front porch, watching them arrive.

As soon as they pulled up, he noticed that Rick was covered in blood, his face sickly pale and bags had formed under his eyes. The cop didn't look so tough now. The others, who he recognized and didn't recognize looked somber, as though someone had died. He killed his motor and stepped off his bike, approaching the group.

"Is everything okay?" he asked tentatively. The looks on their faces didn't seem promising.

"Carl's fine," Rick answered softly, "We'll explain in due time. We were just on our way over there."

Rick pointed to where an older man and woman were standing a little bit aways, the man comforting the smaller woman. The others began making their way off the porch and too the two standing across from them. Rick moved to join them, but Daryl stopped him.

"Before you go over there, I gotta tell you somethin'" he said.

Rick stepped back and looked at the rougher man with curiosity, "Somethin' happen? Did you find Sophia?"

Daryl shook his head, "No, but we found someone in the woods. She was alive, just unconscious. We brought her back with us. Dale seems to think we can trust her, so I figured she could at least come here, make Dale happy, and then we could figure it out from here."

Rick looked at him before nodding, "We'll figure it out after this. Seems we got some catchin' up to do."

Just then, Dale, Andrea, and Carol all emerged from the RV. Rick walked over to them, explaining what they were about to do. Carol and Andrea went ahead to join the larger group, while Dale stayed behind, saying something to Rick, no doubt about the girl that sat just inside the RV. Rick nodded before gesturing toward the group. He and Dale walked over together, and he wondered who was going to keep an eye on her. _She ain't a prisoner, _he told himself, _ain't your responsibility. _

He then joined the others, standing a bit away, observing as he always did. The older man began speaking, with a crying woman hanging on to his arm. It didn't take long for him to realize this was a funeral for somebody. His name was Otis and he had died looking for supplies for Carl, who was now recovering thanks to him. He didn't pay no mind, and kept an eye on the RV. At least, until Shane started to speak.

The crying woman had asked him what happened to Otis, her husband, and Shane stuttered before finally beginning to tell a story. He watched as the former cop spewed out some story about Otis being a hero and sacrificing himself so they could get the supplies to didn't take a genius to figure out he was lying. As he looked around, however, he saw that these people were believing this shit. He scoffed at their idiocy. And he was the dumb redneck As Shane rubbed is newly shaved head, the others said their peace and the small service was over as soon as it began.

Rick approached him and gestured for him to walk with him to the RV.

"So," he said, "How'd you find them?"

"We were on our way back to the highway," Daryl told him, "It was right after Lori got picked up. Spotted some foot prints, followed them thinkin' they were Sophia's. Found her laying with a dead walker on top of her, knife stuck in its head."

Rick nodded his head, seemingly impressed, "Is she dangerous? Alone?"

"Seems harmless," he shrugged, "Been on her own a while, according to Dale. He's the one you should talk to. I didn't talk to her much."

Daryl opened the door to the RV and Rick stepped forward.

"Guess we'll see," he said before hoising himself into the large vehicle.

_Yeah, _he said to himself, _we'll see._

* * *

**A/N: Back again. I apologize for taking so long. School has been hectic. But hey, this Chapter is like double the length of the others! WOO! Hopefully its not too boring, but I have to set everything up. I like stories that pace themselves so that is what I'm doing. A big thank you to all my reviews, favoriters, and followers. You guys are my motivation! Read, review and enjoy as always!**

**-Liz**

**P.S How crazy was last nights episode? Am I the only one that thought Andrea was going to bite the dust last night? Shew, had me on the edge of my seat. 2 episodes left and things are about to get nuts! Same as my story ;)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: Walking Dead and the characters are not mine but Haley is. So there's that.**

Haley stared out the window of the RV, watching the group carefully. It was obvious that they hadn't known each other for long, the way they stood separately and tentatively from one another. Dale stood with the people she had met thus far, while those she hadn't stood together with joined hands. It was like night and day. She watched as a man with short, cropped hair and overalls stepped up and began speaking solemnly. He seemed to be unable to focus while he spoke, his eyes darting every which way. She wished she knew why he looked so panicked. Was it her presence that was unnerving him? She swallowed the lump in her throat as she waited for the group to part. She knew she would be meeting the rest of the group that Dale had told her about and that ultimately, it was them who would decide whether she could stay or go. The way Dale described him made them all seem like saints in hell. They didn't get along all the time, but they were a family and would protect one another no matter what.

She wasn't even sure whether she wanted to stay of leave. At first, she had been adamant about leaving these people without as much as name. She'd take their food and water, allow herself to gather more energy and be on her way. That's what Teddy would have done. _But you aren't him¸_ a small voice told her, _you need help. _This is where her internal struggle begins. It's obvious that she was not strong enough to make it on her own; she'd only made it a couple weeks alone before running out of supplies and getting lost in the woods. She was lucky that the right people had come upon her. She could become part of this group and be a valuable member. While Teddy was the fighter of the two of them, she was the planner and the thinker. It was somewhat strange to most people she met considering she was a model neck deep in the industry. People liked to assume she was stupid but she wasn't, at least, when it came to the important stuff. She was afraid, though. She was afraid they wouldn't accept her and leave her. It was crazy, she knew, but she had learned quickly that your own people can turn on you. She thought of her former group, her brothers base, and even her family.

She was weak and she hated it more than anything. She would be going against her brothers wishes and advice, but ultimately she needed these people. They could teach her things and give her some sort of stability. Being alone for the last few weeks had almost driven her crazy. She spoke to Teddy most of the time, hoping that he was somewhere where he could hear her.

She saw the group split up once more and noticed Daryl and a man dressed as a cop heading toward the RV. She took a step back from the window, contemplating what to say or do. She waved the hair out of her face, feeling the stiffness of it from all the dried walker blood. She realized she hadn't had any type of shower since last week when she had found a pond. Her hair was a tangled mess and her face was covered in dirt and gook. _It's the end of the world, _she scolded herself, _no one cares. _The door to the RV flew open and the cop and Daryl stepped inside. He immediately took a moment to size her up, just as she was him. He looked out of it, in her opinion. His eyes had dark circles under them, his skin was an ashy color, and he looked as though he could fall over at any moment. She noticed a bandage on his arm and wondered if he had been injured. She was brought out of her contemplation when he stuck his hand in front of her. She took it tentatively.

"Rick Grimes," he introduced, firmly shaking her hand.

"Haley," she responded, "Haley Tegarro."

"Spanish?" he asked her, trying to find a hint of the Spanish heritage in her.

She shook her head, "Adopted. My parents were from Brazil."

"Exotic," he smiled genuinely. She felt her shoulders relax as she watched him smile at her. Obviously, she was not intimidating.

"I hear you had a run in with a herd on the highway?"

She nodded her head, "I was looking for food and water when they came out of no where."

"We got caught by the same one I think," he told her, "Highway 57?"

She shrugged her shoulders, "I guess so. I'm not really sure where I was. Yesterday is a bit of a haze."

He nodded, "You feel any better?"

"Definitely," she told him, "I'm so grateful that your people found me. I was definitely a goner if it weren't for them."

"Dehydration ain't no joke. I've been there a few times."

Daryl stood by as the two made small talk, mostly so Rick could decide how easy this girl would be to get along with. She seemed pretty harmless, in his opinion, but that didn't mean he'd trust her.

"Let me take you out to meet every one, real quick," Rick said gesturing toward the group of tents right outside the window.

Haley nervously followed the two men out, looking at her surroundings. Andrea was sitting at a picnic table with the man in the overalls, both hunched over a couple of pistols. The Asian boy, whose face was familiar but the name wasn't, was at the truck with Dale, Carol, T-dog, and a younger girl who looked to be right around her age.

Rick cleared his throat, causing dozens of eyes to set on her as she stood behind the cop, face and hair a mess, eyes wide.

"I'm sure you've been told that we now have a guest," Rick said, "This is Haley. Daryl and them picked her up from the woods yesterday while out with Sophia."

Haley was stuck on the word _guest. _She was just a guest? Shit. She needed to win these people over some how. Judging by the looks of some, they wouldn't be too easy. Rick led her around the camp, introducing her to some people. The man in the overalls, who she knew now as Shane, looked absolutely livid when Rick brought her over. Rick growled something in his ear and Shane went back to his gun, slamming the pieces on to the table. Andrea didn't even look up at her. Glenn gave her a big grin and told her how awesome it'd be to have someone who was his age around while Dale gave her a thumbs up. T-dog gave her a neutral hello. He introduced his wife, who had just made it to the circle. The woman was tall and skinny and she also looked exhausted. She simply said a quick 'hi' before looking at Rick as if to say, 'let's talk about this later.'

"This is Maggie," Rick finally introduced the younger girl, "This is her dad's farm."

Maggie looked at her warily at first before shaking her hand, "You look familiar."

_Crap, _she thought. Someone finally recognized her. She was hoping she'd never have to explain this to people, but here it was.

"What's your last name?" Maggie asked her, squinting her eyes, trying to decipher who she was.

Haley sighed, "Tegarro."

Maggie's eyes immediately went wide and a huge smile appeared on her face, "I knew I recognized you!"

Everyone's eyes were suddenly on her and she shifted uncomfortably.

"I'm sorry," Rick interjected, "Who is she?"

Maggie looked at them as though they had grown two heads, "Seriously?"

"America's Next Top Model?" She offered, "She's been a thousand magazines and dated Leo DiCaprio?"

Haley gaped at Maggie. How the hell did she know all this? Gossip magazines, probably. She sighed. After the world went to hell, she was scared, obviously, but somewhat happy. She hated her job and it was a chance to start over. Now this small town girl knew exactly who she was and these people would probably think she was stupid and weak.

"I'll take her in and get her cleaned up," Maggie told the group, "Don't look at me like that, all y'all had one so it's only fair. You're people who just arrived can have one as well."

With that, the other stood in shock as Maggie drug Haley, the model, off to the house. Daryl watched the scene unfold. While he stood in the back, everyone else began to talk all at once; some yelled and some trying to be calm. Shane, of course was the one who got to Rick first. So the girl was a model? Great. It definitely explained why she was so skinny and tall. She had the build of a model. What the hell was she doing in Georgia, though?

"We don't have time to watch over some chick that used to pose for Sports Illustrated!" Andrea was yelling at Rick.

"Everyone calm down," he said sternly. Daryl could see he was low on energy from giving so much blood.

"Would y'all shut the hell up!" Daryl growled. Everyone immediately went silent. He nodded at Rick to continue.

"Let's put it to a vote," he explained, "For all you who think she should go, raise your hand."

Andrea and Shane's hands both shot up along with, surprisingly, Carol and Lori's hands. Rick looked surpised by his wife.

"Why'd you raise your hand?" he asked her.

"We have so much to deal with already," Lori explained tiredly, "Carl and Sophia should be our main concern. We don't have time to keep an eye on someone new."

Rick looked at Carol who was nodding along with Lori. She agreed with her, of course. Daryl rolled his eyes and Lori's reasoning. Like she'd be the one watching her. Daryl knew that if this girl got to stay, he and Dale would be passing her back and forth like a hot potato. It was for this reason; he didn't want her to stay. He didn't want to have to watch out for the ditzy model who couldn't take care of herself. He'd probably have to drag her on search's for Sophia, hunting, and runs and he really didn't want to be slowed down. He worked best alone and that's how he liked it.

"Daryl," Rick's voice brought him out of thought, "We need your vote."

He looked around and realized that it was four against four right now. T-dog, Glenn, Dale, and Rick must have wanted her to stay and now he needed to be the tie-breaker. He could practically feel Dale's eyes boring into him and he made the mistake of looking at the old man. He didn't even have to say anything; his face said it all. It was begging him to let her stay. _She needs us, _he heard his voice, _sending her out there would be a death sentence. _At this point he would rather be in a herd of walkers alone. Not only did he have a conscience now, but the voice of reason was Dale. As if all the things he was feeling thirty seconds ago were being shoved into the corner of his brain, he stupidly voted.

"Seems harmless to me," he shrugged, "She can stay for all I care."

Dale's face immediately lit up and Glenn smiled. Shane quickly made his opinion known as he stomped off somewhere, although he looked stupid with his limp. Andrea rolled her eyes, but didn't say anything. Daryl guessed it was because Shane wasn't there to back her up. Lori sighed before making her way to the house with Carol.

"I guess that's that then," Rick said casually, "Dale and Daryl, let me talk to you too for a minute."

_Here it comes, _Daryl inwardly huffed.

"Since she seems to know you two the best, I need you all to keep an eye on her at all times. For now, she can't be trusted and should be watched."

Dale agreed whole heartedly and thanked Rick for showing kindness and humanity. Dale and his humanity talk only served to piss Daryl off more.

"Whatever," Daryl growled before going into his tent. He had just started to get comfortable on his cot when a movement grabbed his attention.

His mouth almost dropped when he saw the girl standing in his door way. _Now I see the model, _he thought to himself. He could practically hear Merle screaming for him to give her a nice good bang. Her hair tumbled down her back in dark brown tresses, dripping from water from her shower. All the dirt and blood had been washed away, and her face glowed in the sun. Her gray eyes were much more noticeable now that she was clean. A clean white v-neck hung loosely around her frame while she wore a pair of jeans with holes ripped in various places. Straight out of one of those mall catalogues.

"Um," she said awkwardly, "Maggie said you can have your shower now and to hurry, because her dad would be around soon and he doesn't know we're using her bathroom."

He nodded and let out a sound that sounded somewhat like a grunt and a whimper at the same time. She left him laying his tent trying to block out his brothers voice. _If you don't fuck her, I will disown you! _He immediately pushed his voice out of his head and got up. He grabbed a fresh pile of clothes and made his way to the house. She was sitting with Dale so he was off duty on model watch. He looked over at saw Maggie enthusiastically pointing at a picture and he realized it must have been Haley. Glenn and T-dog were practically drooling over it. How nice, their own resident Hollywood.

He showered quickly, enjoying the warmth and cleanliness of his skin while he could. It wouldn't last long. He'd be out searching for Sophia today and that usually ended with a lot of dirt on his body. When he made it back outside, Rick, Carol, Lori, Glenn, Dale, and Hollywood were all standing by a truck, their heads bent together over something. As he approached, he saw it was map.

"We can finally get this thing organized, for real," Rick explained. He pointed to different places they should search, assigning watches and search parties. Rick noticed him approaching and waved him over.

"You wanna check out this map," he said, "You're the best tracker we've got, so I'll need you on point for most of the searches."

Daryl nodded, "Fine."

He told Carol that she could go to the highway every day with someone and wait for Sophia if she'd like. She eagerly responded.

"I have supplies," Haley blurted out suddenly, "Everything I had is in the car I left on the highway."

She tried her best to ignore the strange looks she was receiving, "I have a lot of weapons, my tent and sleeping bag, and clothes."

He realized why she had finally told them this; she was looking to win them over. Rick quickly locked eyes with Daryl and he already knew what was going to come out.

"You, Carol, and Haley here will go to the highway today," Rick told him. He was reluctant to put his tracker on highway patrol considering he was their biggest hope in the woods, but the girl had weapons and ammo and they needed it, bad.

He wanted to argue, but he couldn't. He'd gone and dug himself a grave and now he was going to lie in it. He'd go with them today, but tomorrow he'd be in those woods searching non-stop for Sophia. _Damn you, Dale, _he shot his eyes at the old man, _this is your fault. _

The group split up once more and Daryl slid into the truck along with Carol and Haley. Carol sat in the middle, giving Daryl a grateful smile, while Haley sat awkwardly by the window, sitting as close as possible to the door. The drive was silent except for the sound of the wind coming through his cracked window. Once they reached the highway, he broke the silence.

"Where'd you leave your car?" he grunted. She was studying the surroundings, trying to remember where exactly she was. Nothing was coming to her until she saw the overturned semi.

"Right behind that truck," she pointed. He stopped the truck, and the three got out. Haley led the way to her car, which he saw was a small Honda in perfect condition. He'd ask to take it back with them, but in a need for an escape, a two door would not be convenient. Carol stood behind, looking around for signs of her daughter. He sighed when he saw tears sliding down her cheeks. He hated the crying.

Haley opened the door and squealed excitedly when she saw all her bags exactly where she left them. She flipped the seat back and yanked out the three packs. She then popped the trunk and took out a large duffle bag. Daryl looked into the bag and his mouth immediately dropped.

The bag contained nothing but ammo for just about every type of gun possible. He walked over to her trunk, where she was hoisting the red canisters of gas out and laying them on the ground. The trunk was empty and he turned on her.

"No guns, Hollywood?" he asked. He immediately smacked himself inwardly at the use of his nickname for her. She gave him a weird look before squinting her eyes.

"Pull up the flooring," she told him. She wasn't a fan of her nickname already. She could see that he wasn't impressed by her model status and she was actually glad for it. She didn't need him gaping at her pictures like the others were. That life was over and she was over it. She was ready to move on.

He pulled it up as he was told and nearly passed out. Inside were various machine guns, pistols, rifles, and grenades. _What the hell? _ She had an arsenal in her trunk. Did she even know how to use these?

"Jesus," he growled, "Where the hell did ya get these?"

"I was on an army base when all this happened," she told him, "My group was a bunch of army people who stole every gun they could their hands on. I'm the only one left, so…"

That explained the grenades and machine guns. He was afraid she was some former serial killer or arms dealer. HE whistled before hoisting the three bags of guns out of her car. The shit was heavy, but he didn't mind. It took three trips to get everything. By the time they reached the meeting point for Sophia, it was evening. He stood with Carol, while Haley sat awkwardly behind them gazing into the woods. He and Carol made small talk, but other than that it was silent. He was never much for conversation. It was hours later that they were back in the truck and headed back to the farm.

They got out of the truck and Daryl looked for any sign of the others. They were all there and Sophia was still missing; day 2 and she was still gone. He knew they wouldn't have hope for long, so as soon as morning came, he'd be out there looking for her.

They presented all of Haley's supplies to the group and they all looked excited and impressed by her collection. Even Shane gave a whistle or two when he looked at some of the guns. Rick thanked her and her eyes lit up. He knew she was probably happy that she had made them like her a little more. He still thought she would be trouble in the long run and that she'd end up slowing him down, but he'd have to sit back and deal with it. Hollywood meets survivor. We'll see how long she lasts.


End file.
